Bride refuses to marry drunken groom in dry Bihar, boy held hostage by girl’s family

The bride not only refused to marry the groom but her family also held hostage the boy and his close relatives till they returned all that the family had taken as dowry.

indiaUpdated: May 13, 2017 10:28 IST

Ajay Kumar Hindustan Times, Muzaffarpur

The groom, Ram Pravesh Das, in Bihar’s and some of his relatives had come drunk for the marriage in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district. (Syamal Das/HT illustration)

Drinking alcohol and going for his wedding proved costly for a bridegroom in dry Bihar on Saturday.

The young bride not only refused to marry the groom, but her family also held hostage the groom and his close relatives till they returned all that the family had taken as dowry.

If sources were to be believed, the groom, Ram Pravesh Das, a resident of Kamalpura village in Muzaffarpur district, 70 kms north of Patna, and some of his relatives reportedly came drunk for the marriage.

“The bride’s relatives not only supported the girl who decided to call off the marriage, but also held hostage the groom and his close relatives,” said Raja Rai, the panchayat mukhiya (head). Rai said he, along with mukhiya of Kamalpura panchayat and some elderly members of the village, were still trying to sort out the issue.

Lalan Kumar Das, mukhiya of Kamalpura toldHTover phone: “The girl is adamant, but we are still trying for a rapprochement.”

Later, at the initiative of the elders, the bride’s family members released some baraatis (those from the groom’s side attending the marriage) who returned to Kamalpura.

The father of the bride, Vashishtha Das, said her daughter refused to go ahead with the rituals after finding the groom to be under influence of alcohol. “I stand firmly with my daughter’s decision. She did what she thought was good for her,” Das told HT.

Sanjay Kumar, a baraati, said: “The bride pulled out after some of the marriage rituals had been completed. She alleged that the groom was unable to properly recite the hymns and follow the instructions of the priest,” he said.

Bihar became a dry state on April 5, last year. Consuming, keeping or dealing in liquor is an offence under the state’s new excise prohibition law, which provides for imprisonment up to 10 years.

This is, however, not the first instance of a bride calling off her marriage in Bihar. On April 29, a girl from Dumaria village in Samastipur district, 85 kms north-east of Patna, had walked out of her weddingmandapafter the bridegroom demanded a motorcycle in dowry.

Nearly a couple of days ago, a bride refused to marry a dark complexioned groom, saying he was unsuitable for her. The bizarre incident took place at Bakhri village of Begusarai district, 125 km east of Patna.